Process for relieving stresses from the body of musical string instruments of wooden manufacture



REYNOLDS PROCESS FOR RELIEVING *STRESSES FROM THE BODY OF MUSICAL July 21, 1970 P. w.

STRING INSTRUMENTS OF WOODEN MANUFACTURE Filed May 27. 1968 x/rraovek United States Patent 3,521,374 PROCESS FOR RELIEVING STRESSES FROM THE BODY OF MUSICAL STRING INSTRUMENTS OF WOODEN MANUFACTURE Paul W. Reynolds, 1884 Monrovia Ave., Apt. 14, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92627 Filed May 27, 1968, Ser. No. 732,181 Int. Cl. F26b 7/00 US. Cl. 34--19 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The process of relieving stress in the body of musical string instruments including the exposure of the body of the instrument to preheated aqueous vapor mist until the body reaches a temperature of 100 to 125 F., then vibrating the instrument, ,and then permitting the instrument to cool to ambient temperature.

My invention relates to the process of relieving the stress commonly found in musical string instruments manufactured of wood such as guitars, violins, violas, violoncellos, string basses, and similar instruments, and has for its objects to improve the resonance and sound of the instrument and to increase the life of the instrument by alleviating the danger of the separation of Wood fibers normally attending the aging process.

Additional objects, together with further advantages derived in utilizing the present invention, Will become apparent from the detailed description thereof, taken together with the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification, in which- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plane view of a standard guitar, partially broken away; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view of my Spanish concert guitar, used by way of illustration.

The construction of the guitar illustrated in the accompanying drawing shows a laminated neck portion, 10, attached to the body of the guitar which includes a top surface, 11, a bottom surface, 12, held in parallel spaced relation to the top surface by a plurality of braces, 13, and buttresses, 14, an end block, 15, and a bridge, 16, held in position by a viscid cement or other adhesive preparation, usually a form of impure gelatin derived from boiling certain animal substances in water.

Regardless whether the instrument is old or of recent manufacture, the colloidal substance used in positioning the various wooden elements of the body will have a tendency to crystallize upon hardening and cause stresses in the body of the instrument which are indicated by jce arrows in the accompanying drawing. These stresses will interfere with the resonance of the body of the instrument and have a tendency to produce a flat tinny rather than a full deep vibrating sound.

My process will relieve most of the stresses due to the cementing of the elements of the body and permit a full and deep resonance of the instrument resulting in a deep and satisfactory sound regardless of the age of the instrument.

I accomplish these objects by submitting the body of the instrument to preheated saturated aqueous vapor, such as steam derived from the boiling of water at 212 F. at standard atmospheric pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute at a distance of from three to six inches from the source of the vapor, until the body of the instrument feels warm totouch, i.e. at to F., by vibrating the instrument upon such exposure, for instance by plucking and vibrating the strings of the instrument six to eight times, and by permitting, thereafter, the instrument to cool to ambient temperature, a thermometer or temperature gauge may be affixed to the instrument to determine the temperature at which the strings Will require to be plucked and vibrated.

The process may be repeated, depending upon the age of the instrument, if one application of my process does not render the desired result of relieving a majority of the stresses in the body of the instrument and supplying thereto a deeper and fuller resonance and sound.

I claim:

1. The process of relieving stresses in the body of a musical string instrument by submitting the body of the instrument to preheated saturated aqueous vapor, such as steam derived from the boiling of Water at 212 F. at standard atmospheric pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch absolute at a distance from three to six inches from the source of the vapor, until the body of the instrument reaches a temperature of from 90 to 125 F., by vibrating the instrument upon such exposure, by plucking the strings of the instrument six to eight times and by permitting, thereafter, the instrument to cool to ambient temperature.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,920,666 l/1960 Svatek 144327 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner US. 01. X.R. 

